Debating the Mayflower
20^th June, 6:30pm
London Bubble
Join us for a critical discussion during Refugee Week with Georgie Wemyss and Darren Chetty about the legacy of the Mayflower voyage.

This discussion will explore how we can mark the 400^th anniversary of the ship’s sailing alongside histories of empire and colonialism.
What are the questions we need to ask to broaden out the story from a straightforward narrative of progress?
How were the people who travelled on the Mayflower changed by the voyage, and by the encounter?
How has the world been changed by the encounter?

Find out more and book your free tickets here

Georgie Wemyss is a lecturer in social sciences at the University of East London and co-director for the Centre for research on Migration, Refugees and Belonging. Her book The Invisible Empire: White Discourse, Tolerance and Belonging explores how differing narratives of Britishness obscure colonial histories in ways that work against the belonging of second and third generation British citizens in the present.

Darren Chetty is a writer, teacher and researcher. He has published academic work on philosophy, education, racism, children’s literature and hip-hop culture. He is a contributor to the bestselling book, The Good Immigrant, edited by Nikesh Shukla and published by Unbound.

Refugee Week is a nationwide programme of arts, cultural and educational events that celebrates the contribution of refugees to the UK, and encourages a better understanding between communities. This year it takes place between 17th and 23rd June.

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The Deal took place on Saturday 18th May in the City of London. It was an interactive research performance which will explored the motives of the Separatists (who formed the bulk of the passengers on the Mayflower), their negotiations with King James I, and the role of the City of London in the financing of the voyage.

The event started at the Dutch Church,  a site of refuge for protestant refugees in the Sixteenth century, before winding its way through small roads, squares and alleyways to arrive at All Hallows Church, the oldest church in the City of London.

Passamezzo, experts in sixteenth and seventeenth century music, set the scene with songs and dances from the time.

You can read more about this event here

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The following events took place in Autumn 2018.

Charting the Mayflower – open workshops
Saturday 3rd November, 10.30am – 12.30pm
Surey Docks Farm
Almost 400 years ago the Mayflower left Rotherhithe’s shores with people on board seeking a new life across the Atlantic.
Their quest, and its legacy, has become symbolic of America and shaped global dynamics.
But who were the passengers on board? Why did they get on the ship, and why do we remember the name of the Mayflower above all of the other ships that sailed to America in the seventeenth century?
Free. Suitable for all ages
Click here to read more